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Nicolas Ghesquiere Finally Rings Out His Laundry

Gossip surrounding Balenciaga has finally gone dormant. Mr. Wang was a success at his first presentation for the fashion house. It’s as though nothing had ever happened. But rewind the clock to November of last year and the only thing people were talking about was Nicolas Ghesquiere’s decision to step down as creative director of Balenciaga. After countless prodigious collections, Mr. Ghesquiere’s reason for leaving was mystifying. No one understood why he would leave.

Fast forward to the moment we have all been waiting for, Mr. Ghesquiere has finally decided to speak up about his reasons for leaving Balenciaga. In his first interview since the separation, Ghesquieresits down withJonathan Wingfield for System Magazine. He states, “Everything became an asset for the brand, trying to make it ever more corporate – it was all about branding”. With this demand for an increase in sales came a disregard for talent and creativity. Mr. Ghesquiere describes this process as “dehumanizing”.

While merchandising is a critical component to brand success, it must be bolstered by a strong creativewill and vice versa. These two elements are required to establish and maintain a successful fashion house. However, the question remains, is a brand’s status more important than the creative forces behind it?Mr. Ghesquiere believes that the answer is no and that a both parties can successfully co-exist and guide each other through the process.